January 2012 Blog Posts (4)

There are so many ways to be creative. And regardless of what we’re creating, I think the feeling we get from creating anything in general is the same, and rivals that of the endorphins kicking in when we exercise. Whether it’s a song, a painting, a garden, a meal, rearranging a room, or a great looking spreadsheet, it’s rewarding and feels great to be creative. And creativity is an element that can be introduced into any task or situation, from problem solving, to brushing…

I love that scene in Tommy Boy where David Spade and Chris Farley are driving down the road crying and singing all the words to the Carpenters’ song at the top of their lungs. If we’re honest, we all have that music we connect with and love to listen to when there’s no one else is around. We keep it to ourselves though because we’re afraid it’s chronically uncool. What’s yours? Wear it like a badge of honor!

When I was younger I “bathed” in everything I listened to. As a result, the music I experienced, pretty much became the soundtrack of my life. I think it’s that kind of listening that lends itself to that phenomenon of being transported back to a particular time and place in your life when you hear something from a certain era. That’s a magical, joyful thing. When I started making music for a living, I found that somewhere along the way, I’d stopped listening to music for enjoyment, and…

So, I’m driving through Alabama to a meeting, looking for any interesting music I might find on the radio, and I settle on an “oldies” station that’s playing a song I remember from when I was a kid. Suddenly I hear this phrase. As the artist is pining away for the love of his life who’s getting ready to walk out the door, he sings, with all of his heart, “o-o-h Mama”. “Ooh Mama”? Really? Can’t you just see the producer in the control room with the poofy hair and huge shirt collar saying…